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Atlantic Wall
in Denmark.]] in France.]] in France.]] , originally an artillery command centre converted into a hospital, St. Lawrence Jersey]] at Batterie "Lindemann", a German Cross-Channel gun. Named after the commander of the [[German battleship Bismarck|battleship Bismarck]] Kapitän zur See Ernst Lindemann]] The Atlantic Wall (German: Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1945 along the western coast of Europe and Scandinavia as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain. History On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40 called for the official creation of the Atlantic Wall. After the St. Nazaire Raid, on April 13, 1942 Adolf Hitler ordered naval and submarine bases to be heavily defended. Fortifications remained concentrated around ports until late in 1943 when defences were increased in other areas.Kaufmann J. E.; Kaufmann, H. W.; Jurga, Robert M. (2003). Fortress Third Reich: German Fortifications and Defense Systems in World War II. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. pp. 196-197. ISBN 0-306-81239-8 Organisation Todt, which had designed the Siegfried Line (Westwall) along the Franco-German border, was the chief engineering group responsible for the design and construction of the wall's major fortifications. Thousands of forced laborers were impressed to construct these permanent fortifications along the Dutch, Belgian and French coasts facing the English Channel. Early in 1944, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was assigned to improve the Wall's defences. Rommel believed the existing coastal fortifications were entirely inadequate and he immediately began strengthening them. Under his direction, a string of reinforced concrete pillboxes was built along the beaches, or sometimes slightly inland, to house machine guns, antitank guns and light artillery. Mines and antitank obstacles were planted on the beaches themselves and underwater obstacles and mines were placed in waters just off shore. The intent was to destroy the Allied landing craft before they could unload. By the time of the invasion, the Germans had laid almost six million mines in northern France. More gun emplacements and minefields extended inland, along roads leading away from the beaches. In likely landing spots for gliders and parachutists, the Germans emplaced slanted poles with sharpened tops, which the troops called Rommelspargel ("Rommel's asparagus"). Low-lying river and estuarine areas were permanently flooded, as well. Rommel firmly believed that Germany would inevitably be defeated unless the invasion could be stopped at the beach. Although the defensive wall was never completed, the Wall's existence has served to explain away concerns of the Soviet Union as to why the Second Front was not opened until June 6, 1944 (less than a year before the end of the war in Europe). The Wall primarily consisted of batteries, bunkers, and minefields, which during 1942–1944, stretched from the French-Spanish border to Norway (Festung Norwegen). Many bunkers still exist, for example near Scheveningen, Den Haag, Katwijk and in Normandy. In Oostende, Belgium the public may visit a well-preserved part of the defences. That section consists of emplacements of the "Saltzwedel neu battery" and the "Stützpunkt Bensberg", consisting of several men’s quarters and the necessary facilities. These constructions were used by a unit of German military engineers (Pionierstab) who were in charge of bunker construction. The Channel Islands were heavily fortified, particularly the island of Alderney which is closest to Britain. Hitler had decreed that 1/12th of the steel and concrete used in the Atlantic Wall go to the Channel Islands, because of the propaganda value of controlling British territory. The Channel Islands were some of the most densely fortified areas in Europe with a host of Hohlgangsanlage tunnels, Casemates and Coastal artillery positions. Mountbatten commented: "Each island is a veritable fortress, the assault against which cannot be contemplated unless the defences are neutralised, or reduced to a very considerable extent by prior action." Despite the mooting of Operation Constellation et al., the Allies bypassed the islands and did not try to liberate them when they invaded Normandy. The islands' German garrisons did not surrender until 9 May 1945 – one day after the German armed forces on the mainland. The German garrison on Alderney did not surrender until 16 May. Because the German garrison surrendered peacefully the Channel Islands are host to some of the best preserved Atlantic Wall sites. Walcheren Island was considered to be the "strongest concentration of defences the Nazis had ever constructed." Commands The Atlantic Wall was not a single organisation except in the administration of its building. Militarily it was divided into eight commands: * Norway Army Command * Forces Commander in Danmark * Deutsche Bucht Command * Wehrmacht Netherlands Command * Armee Oberkommando 15 (15th Army zone) * Armee Oberkommando 7 (7th Army zone) * Armee Oberkommando 1 (1st Army zone) * Armee Oberkommando 19 (19th Army zone) Fortresses Many major ports and positions were made part of the Atlantic Wall and received heavy fortifications. Hitler ordered them all to fight to the endWhitaker, W. Denis; Whitaker, Shelagh (1984). Tug of War: The Canadian Victory that Opened Antwerp. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing. ISBN 0-7737-2034-0 and some of them remained in German hands until the unconditional surrender of Axis Forces on May 8, 1945. Several of the port fortresses were resupplied by submarine after being surrounded by Allied forces. The defenders of these positions included Slavic soldiers and SS troops. Kaufmann J. E.; Kaufmann, H. W.; Jurga, Robert M. (2003). Fortress Third Reich: German Fortifications and Defense Systems in World War II. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. p. 352. ISBN 0-306-81239-8 See also * British anti-invasion preparations of World War II * Czechoslovak border fortifications * Hankley Common * Maginot line * Nordstern * Siegfried Line * Festung Norwegen References German Publication (PhD) in military history *Dr. Thorsten Heber: Der Atlantikwall 1940–1945. Band I Die Befestigung der Küsten West- und Nordeuropas im Spannungsfeld nationalsozialistischer Kriegführung und Ideologie. 564 Seiten, 157 Bildtafeln mit 535 Abb. BoD 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-2979-6. *Dr. Thorsten Heber: Der Atlantikwall 1940–1945. Band II Die Invasion – Die Atlantikfestungen 1944/45 – Der Atlantikwall in Deutschland, Dänemark, Norwegen – Kompendium Regelbauten. 504 Seiten, 196 Bildtafeln mit 670 Abb. BoD 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-2980-2. Further reading *Kauffmann, J.E. and Jurga, Robert M. Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II, Da Capo Press, 2002. ISBN 0-306-81174-X External links * AtlantikWall.co.uk * AtlantikWall.dk * The defences of the Atlantikwall at Omaha Beach * Atlantikwall.fr * Atlantikwall.net * The Atlantikwall in Denmark * Bunkertypes, maps, museums and others * The Atlantic Wall Linear Museum * Britannica Online * Museumscenter Hanstholm * Kristiansand Cannon Museum * Vara Battery (Kristiansand, Norway) * Fortress Alderney * Information site about the Atlantikwall in the Netherlands, Haagse Bunker Ploeg * Atlantikwall Museum Noordwijk, Site about the Atlantikwall Museum Noordwijk in the Netherlands * Information about the open air museum in Ostend, Belgium. * Festung Europa : Bunkers in the Atlantikwall * Places of interest for the war tourist along Hitlers Atlantic Wall in Denmark and Norway (English) * Fortifications in Denmark and Europe through a thousand years (Danish) * The Atlantic Wall in North Brittany (Bretagne Nord), France. Shore & Beach, 2004, 72:4 10–12 * {http://www.musee-grand-bunker.com Ouistreham Normandy France Atlantikwall museum ] Category:German World War II defensive lines Category:World War II sites of Nazi Germany Category:World War II sites in Belgium Category:World War II sites in France Category:World War II sites in the Netherlands Category:World War II sites in the Channel Islands Category:Walls Category:Coastal fortifications Category:Nazi architecture Category:Buildings and structures in Alderney Category:Operation Overlord Category:German occupation of Jersey during World War II